Time flies! It's May next week, and
we now see some changes out there on the rivers, mainly lower water flows. Unfortunately
the low water caddis season which would have allowed for great wade fishing was not to be
as the COE chose to generate high water flows to get the lakes back down to pool. Anglers
who ventured out to boat fish reaped the rewards of high water flows. Most of my time was
spent with my customers at Bull Shoals dam which produced to say the least some awesome
fishing, particularly for big rainbows, many fish between 3 and 5 lbs. and fat as pigs.
Which proves the point that this trophy zone works. I am not saying that these fish are
easy to catch, but at least you know they are there.
At the time of writing we are having around 2 units of water
generated at Bull Shoals which more or less has given us good clean water through the
system. Norfork at this time is having both zero and some generation giving options for
wade fishing. I would expect now the lakes are below pool and provided we do not see any
significant rain periods of zero generation for the White in the near future.
Fishing -
We are still seeing some caddis action, not so much hatches, but the
return of the female adults egg laying, which will promote some surface action to dry fly.
Otherwise there are many other options to pursue.
In general the river now has many food sources available for the
fish, sowbugs, scuds, baetis, midge, snails, crawdads, sculpins and baitfish, terrestrials
to name a few.
So far as nymph fishing techniques either by wade of boat drift
given the clean clear water then you may need to reduce to 5 or 6x tippet, trout can be
wary at this time, long leaders and small indicators may also be needed.
Choices of flies will include sowbugs in gray, tan and natural,sizes
(14 to18) color can make a great deal of difference at times. Scuds in olive/gray, hares
ear, pheasant tails, white tail, prism and zebra style midges form sizes 14 to 20. Deeper
water flows prince nymph, caddis larva type patterns. If zero generations for Bull Shoals
Dam zone and Norfork then small sowbugs and chironomids in sizes 18 to 22 to 5 or 6x with
an without beads and in different colors, black, red, olive, gray, small drys and emergers
also if fish are seen working the surface. Typically when we see bright blue sky days
surface activity will be confined to early morning and dusk time.
If fishing shoal and riffle water then working soft hackles and wet
fly will be a good bet or small size woolly bugger type streamers as will fishing to trout
seen working the surface in higher water flows either from wade of boat drift.
The larger Browns this time of the year are now moving toward
feeding times during the periods of dusk to dawn, fishing larger streamers may be
productive also at this time. Overcast days may also be productive for these larger fish,
bear in mind that during lower water flows and zero generations these fish will be very
wary.
Enjoy the rivers, they are in great shape at this time.
